1
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mental
of or relating to the mind
intellectual pursuits such as reading and studying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
research that shows that people from very intellectual backgrounds are happiest with spouses having comparable educations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
discovered that in politics a reputation for being an intellectual was regarded as a liability
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intellectual
Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
Some institutions across the U.S. could soon feel the impact of fewer international students, who often pay full tuition, on their budgets and on the intellectual diversity of their programs, analysts say.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 12 May 2026
Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
There is so much crossover to New Yorkers who are incredibly smart shoppers, intellectual, and have a deep sense of the arts and craftsmanship.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
Beneath the measured pace of transactions — collectors more cautious, galleries recalibrating, auction houses tempering expectations — the intellectual and aesthetic stakes of contemporary art feel newly urgent.
—Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
Some institutions across the U.S. could soon feel the impact of fewer international students, who often pay full tuition, on their budgets and on the intellectual diversity of their programs, analysts say.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 12 May 2026
Noun
Huxley might easily have written a simpler novel glorifying intellectuals while mocking Stoyte’s greed and indifference to suffering.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
There is so much crossover to New Yorkers who are incredibly smart shoppers, intellectual, and have a deep sense of the arts and craftsmanship.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
-
The cerebral circuitry of the human brain—specifically the salience network, which is responsible for filtering stimuli—seems to be more active in individuals with misophonia.—
Sloane Crosley,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Your 10th House of Career is activated by cerebral Mercury, while your 5th House of Creativity reshaped by powerful Pluto, so roles and play need rebalancing.—
PubSubHub User,
Baltimore Sun,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
That atmosphere was felt by the crew throughout the 140-day shoot, which required intense physical and mental endurance from everyone.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
-
Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama, for example, both became known for paring down everyday decisions—famously, their wardrobes—to conserve mental energy for the calls that matter.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Declining educational attainment in early childhood doesn’t happen in isolation.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
This balance of intercollegiate, club and intramural sports opportunities represents the current state of the physical training roots of the Greek educational model.—
Dr. J. Lee Peters,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Drama of the nerds and the geniuses.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
All the hallmarks of his fusions are present—some gospel here, some guitars there, enough rap samples from across regions to make any blog nerd proud—but his pet sound this cycle is harsh electronic music.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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An international collaboration between 17 academic and scientific institutions, The Memory of Darkness, Light, and Ice was nominated in a competitive category against productions from NOVA, National Geographic Documentary Films and Netflix.—
Tarini Mehta,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
For the Delfonts, who use a tape-recorder to capture this desperate plea, Leonora’s words serve as irrefutable proof that an academic career has failed to compensate for the absence of a husband and child.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Assuming, of course, those staffers don’t emulate Pelley and strongly and sharply disagree or challenge their boss in an internal staff meeting.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Astrology, a pursuit that hovers in the nebulous space between science and storytelling, is not exactly a robust academic field, and LaFaive had no scholarly studies of Goodman’s life or work to consult.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Born to a humble family in the twilight years of the shogunate, Higuchi Natsuko (as she was born) was the fourth child and second daughter of a man with scholarly inclinations, who as a farmer had come to the capital to seek both fortune and rank.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Deadline asks the Festival chief whether Series Mania is focused on the highbrow of the drama spectrum.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Wagner would be a sleepless highbrow’s favorite; the long, lush, unbroken lines of music share with the white-noise hum of the air-conditioner or the thrum of the painstaking lecture the quality of being absorbing without offering undue eventfulness.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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